Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid
by Rinara
Summary: Jimmy and Zoe had been officially dating for six months until she suddenly breaks up with him. Jimmy tries to put the pieces together and find out the dark secret Zoe is keeping from him. Little does he know... Zoe is pregnant. Chapter 4 now up.
1. Anger

The late bell rang—panic settled in her stomach. Although, it wasn't class she was worried about. The loneliness of the girl's bathroom began to haunt her as she paced around the room, staring at herself in the mirror. Her feisty red hair lost its personality the moment humidity and sweat took over.

_Keep calm!_ She swallowed the food that was crawling up her throat. _Just breath, you'll be fine. _

Zoe Taylor kept staring back at herself in the dirty mirror; it was someone she couldn't recognize anymore. Her mouth filled with saliva and she sprinted to the bathroom stall. She let her body's natural instincts take over as she was bent over the toilet.

"Majorly gross!" A girl squealed and Zoe quickly looked over her shoulder. Mandy covered her eyes and was still squealing. "You're disgusting!"

Zoe ripped off some toilet paper and cleaned her mouth. "Shut up, you do it all the time …_on purpose." _Her stomach was churning again. "Better yet Mandy, come join me, you bulimic freak!"

Mandy ignored her and covered her mouth from gagging. "Gross …" she closed her eyes and jogged out of the bathroom.

"Anorexic … bulimic … whatever you are," Zoe sighed as she flushed the toilet hoping that she wouldn't get sick again. Throwing up usually had become a regular routine for Zoe recently.

Pulling herself off the floor, she dragged herself over to the sink. Clinging onto the rim, Zoe turned the water on full blast. She washed her hands and felt the coolness rinse away her pain, her sorrow. If only water could take away her memory and erase her past.

"Food fight!" yelled Algie nervously running for the exit. Unfortunately, he was soon tackled by Trent and quickly had food shoved into his face.

"Wait—what?" Petey looked around at the girls yelling and boys cheering. "Oh no—"

Jimmy ducked at the food flying and laughed at his friend freaking out. Johnny and Peanut were quick to throw food at the jocks and vice versa. Petey yelled the moment Edna's mystery meat plastered his face.

**Jimmy POV: **

Finally! Something fun is actually happening around this stupid school. In a way, it was still fighting—minus the pain. I turned to see the girls either running out of the cafeteria or hiding under the tables. I swiftly ducked when an open milk carton flew my way, hitting Petey in the process. Poor guy, it pretty funny though.

Petey tugged on the napkin from under his tray. "Jimmy! Let's ditch this place!"

I nodded, but I wasn't leaving without first joining in the food fight. I grabbed Petey's tray and flung it across the room. I watched amused and laughed the moment the tray hit Bif in the back. He squirmed in pain.

Petey and I ran from the cafeteria, both of us having different reactions. Petey scrubbed his cheek, trying to remove the mystery gunk that formed a cast around half of his face. He was covered in milk and smelled of left over mash potatoes. The type of left over's from last week. I had a few stains myself, but not as bad.

I listened to the cheering yells coming from the cafeteria as I watched the girls run to the bathroom. Most of them were worrying about their hair, clothes, and all that stuff they obsess about. The prefects ran into the cafeteria, and soon, silence overpowered the cheers. I watched as a few guys scrambled out of the cafeteria and ran in different directions around the school.

Johnny slammed into me and I stumbled back. "Watch it!" I warned. He looked over his shoulder and gave me an apologetic wave.

Just then, Lola and Beatrice ran out of the left hall and were waving to me and Petey. Johnny stopped immediately and ran back when he saw Lola's pale face.

"Guys—" Beatrice gasped, her face was just as pale as Lola's. "We need medical attention in the bathroom!"

Petey looked around. "I'll go run to the nurse!" He took off.

"What happened?" I asked watching Johnny hug Lola to calm her down.

"Zoe is gushing blood from her head and she keeps throwing up!" Lola yelled. "All the other girls are just freaking out!"

"I mean—" Beatrice breathed. "No one likes Zoe, but we don't want her to die!"

I glared. "Where the hell is Petey with the nurse?"

I sprinted to the girl's bathroom, making my way around some people. I pushed Mandy—as well as some other girls—out of the way and saw Zoe lying helpless, scared, and lonely on the floor. She kept gagging and rubbing the blood from her eyes. I tried to ignore the puddle of throw up right next to her.

"I'm fine!" she whimpered as I kneeled beside her. "I just slipped and hit my head against the sink—that's all!"

Zoe tried to act to tough, but she was hurt. I looked at the corner rim of the sink and saw blood. Not to mention all the water on the floor. For a moment there, I thought she might have wanted to end her life. I'm glad she was telling the truth.

The nurse and Petey ran into the bathroom. Petey pulled me away from my girlfriend and the nurse ordered us to get out of the girl's bathroom. We were quickly moved by the other girls and some of the prefects as they tried to calm everyone down.

I couldn't focus on anything else but the images that were replaying in my mind. Zoe, my girlfriend, was sick, hurt. It still sounded weird, I mean, calling her my _girlfriend._ I sometimes forget that I finally made it official with her six months ago. Instead of just kissing and messing around with anyone, I was always with her. I was actually faithful—and it wasn't so bad, really. I liked spending time with her; I finally understood what Johnny felt for Lola. Except the difference was that Zoe was faithful to me, unlike how Lola treats Johnny. Anyway, it was kind of nice. I really like it, actually.

The nurse held firmly onto Zoe as a prefect held her on the other side as well. I caught a clear glimpse of her eyes since the blood was cleansed from her face. Everyone stood silently in the hall as we watched a pale, fragile, and skinnier Zoe being dragged out of the building.

The hall cleared and the bell rang. It was finally time for the last period of the day. Petey patted my back.

"It'll be fine, really!" He encouraged. "Let's get to class!"

I moaned and walked to chemistry.

Anxiety filled my body as I finished my lab and stared at the clock. One more minute and school is over. I knew exactly what I was going to do; I could feel the blood pulse through my veins. I ignored whatever Petey was talking to me about as I counted down the seconds.

Three, two, one. The Bell rang—I was the first to run out of class, leaving Petey talking about whatever. I couldn't have cared any less.

I sprinted out of school and ran to the nurses' building. Everything was blurry and noisy around me as I focused on two people who were standing outside. Zoe and the nurse.

I caught my breath and walked up to Zoe's back, ready to give her a surprise hug.

"Please don't! You don't understand what this'll do to me!" She cried. I stopped immediately and tried to understand what was going on. "Please ma'am! Please!" Zoe begged. I could hear her sniffle.

The nurse and I caught eyes. "Excuse me, what business do you have here?" she asked angrily.

"I just—" I paused the moment Zoe turned around and glared at me. What was going on here? "I just wanted to see if Zoe was feeling better …"

"She's just fine, in fact, she's lucky!" the nurse was furious. "And if I were you, I'd get—"

"Let's go—" Zoe sighed harshly, grabbing my arm and tugging me along.

The nurse complained. "Oh no you don't—"

Zoe and I started running, leaving an angry nurse behind. We finally reached the entrance gates of Bullworth and Zoe gasped for air.

"Are you okay?" I held unto her shoulders trying to calm her down. She sounded like she had asthma.

"Don't touch me!" She shoved me and started coughing. I kept my distance. "What are you even doing following me around? You stalker!"

What was with all the sudden hate? "Where is this coming from, what did I do?" I asked, feeling helpless for once in my life.

"Look—I'm just sick of going everywhere and seeing your face!" Zoe stuttered. "Just leave me alone!"

"What? You've never complained about me before, why now?"

"I just want you to go away …" She closed her eyes and sighed.

I was furious. "What? Now you think you're so tough, huh?"

She kept breathing unevenly.

"Maybe next time you should—"

Zoe punched me and I stumbled back, surprised. People walking around us started to form a crowd.

"I hate you! I'm breaking up with you and I _never _want to see your face again!" She screeched and everyone jumped. (Including me)

She pushed her way out of the crowd and I watched her run down the street and across the bridge.

I totally screwed up this time.

**Author: **I never ask for people to give me reviews, but I'd really like it this time around. I want to know what you thought of this first chapter and if you found it interesting. This idea just hit me earlier and I had to write it down. Share your thoughts with me.


	2. Shock

**Zoe POV:**

What a jerk! How dare he even talk to me! Well—okay. So maybe I'm a little emotional and over-exaggerating quite a bit. It was actually my fault, but I just can't deal with him right now. I just can't. I don't even know how I'm going to deal with anything. I'm not ready for any of this.

I continued walking along the sidewalk—my house was still a way off. I had time to calm down, to breathe, and to think about how I would face Jimmy tomorrow. Knowing him, he would come to my house tonight. I didn't have much time after all.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. Emotions began swelling in my throat. I let the events of the day sink into my mind. Did I really just make a fool of myself in front of my whole school?

"Oh, I'm such an idiot!" I screeched. I rubbed my eyes harshly, wiping away the unwanted tears.

I opened my eyes and immediately noticed the crowd of townsfolk staring at me. They whispered to each other. Some people began mocking me and others were seriously worried. My vision began to swirl, my stomach began to churn—it was happening again. Food began crawling up my throat. I gagged and out flew everything that was left in my stomach. The crowd erupted in chaos—women were screaming, men were disgusted, and some children were covering their eyes.

I ran along the sidewalk, shoving my way through the crowd. Embarrassment burned in my cheeks, and I felt horrible. The dizziness swirled the world around me as I ran quickly. Every muscle in my legs ached as I continued running despite being tired. My calf muscles stopped contracting and slowly felt like they were turning into Jell-o. I flew forward, slamming face first into the pavement.

"Ahhh—" I let out a whimper as I tried to pull myself off the floor. I simply lied back down in immense pain.

Lying on the pavement, I felt somewhat better. The dizziness stopped. The cramps and achiness disappeared. My Jell-o like legs cooled down. The coolness of the pavement felt like ice against my hot cheeks. The embarrassment slowly faded away as I closed my eyes.

It felt right. The world around me and my cares faded to nothingness.

**Jimmy POV:**

"Jimmy!" Petey ran up to me completely confused. "What happened? You okay?"

I didn't know the answer to that question. I wondered what exactly was happening. Zoe—what did I ever do to her? If anything, she should be so proud that I even cared about her the way I do.

I rubbed my lips exactly where Zoe punched me. I gently swiped my fingers along my lower lip, feeling its tenderness. I looked at my hand; a drop of blood lay on my palm.

"Good question …" I whispered, still staring at the drop of blood.

Petey studied the crowd around him, "Where's Zoe?"

I sighed apathetically, not really wanting to talk. "Good question …"

I shoved past Petey as I started jogging out of Bullworth's gates. Questions flooded my mind, making my heart pound against my insides. Zoe ran across the bridge but there are still plenty of places she could have run off to.

"Where are you going?" Petey yelled as I started out in a full-blown sprint.

Ignoring him, I kept running, squinting as the sun somewhat blinded me. The day was unusually cool, considering that August hasn't even arrived yet. The brisk wind pounded against my face as I continued running. People hastily moved out of my way. Adults were worried I might shove them around and kids stayed clear from my path.

I quickly glanced around at the shops as I ran past them. I knew Zoe would not be hanging around these places, trying to buy clothes or something. I stopped running to catch my breath. Looking around at the passing crowd, I began to replay images in my mind. Zoe, my girlfriend, was bleeding from her face and throwing up in the bathroom. The images in my mind kept replaying, taunting me.

Why is Zoe acting so strangely? Why is she sick?

I leaned up against a stop sign as I took a deep breath. There is nowhere else she can be but at her house, and I am not too far from there. I started jogging again, making my way past people. I started sprinting again as I made my away down the street and around the corner towards Blue Skies Industrial Park.

The cold wind pierced my eyes, making them dry and irritated. Still sprinting, I closed my eyes quickly. As I opened them, I flew forward, landing face first into the sidewalk.

"What the—" I moaned, rubbing my forehead.

I barely closed my eyes for a second and there was nothing that I crashed into. I turned over to my back, still moaning in pain. I sat up slowly, feeling everything in my body ache. I cursed the wind for causing me so much trouble in less than thirty seconds.

"Jimmy—" Zoe was laying down on her side behind me.

I could feel the embarrassment flush towards my cheeks. If I'm right, I tripped over Zoe as I was running with my eyes closed.

"Hey …" I whispered crawling over to her. "Did I hurt you?"

Shame took over my emotions.

"Nah, I'm good." She smiled sweetly despite the obvious pain and weakness in her expression. "I was just … sleeping here. I'm tired, I guess."

I laughed. She must have passed out from all the stress of today.

"Hey—" She whispered, pushing herself off the sidewalk.

"Yeah?" I grinned widely, happy that she wasn't yelling at me or trying to kill me.

"I'm pregnant."

I paused from laughing, feeling _real _shame take over my emotions.

"What?" I asked softly.

Zoe frowned. "You're stupid."

In complete shock, I listened to my heart throb, not sure of what else to do or say.

"You're stupid for not understanding, and you're stupid for knocking me up."

The cold, brisk wind flew past us both as we sat on the sidewalk. This time around, I welcomed the refreshing wind as I could feel every ounce of my body burning with shock.


	3. Surprise

"_I need time to think."_

That's what he told me. That obsessive, bi-polar loser! Jimmy, ever since he found out about the pregnancy, has been avoiding me completely. Even so, I still remember our conversation very clearly.

I held back the tears and sealed my emotions in my throat. _"You know, it takes two to make a baby …"_

"_I know …"_

"_Then why do you need time to think?"_

"_I don't know,"_ he whispered back. _"I just don't know."_

My heart died that day. I should have never told him that I was pregnant. I should have stayed quiet—it would have been better that way. Besides, I don't _need_ him. I just need to find a full-time job to pay for the baby. Who needs school anyway? I'm not much for learning. Besides, the farther away from Jimmy I could get, the better off I would be.

My baby didn't need a father like him, anyway.

_Click, click, click._ The lock popped open quickly. I removed the lock from my locker at the gym and moved quickly. I didn't want to be seen by the cheerleaders. I knew that word had gotten around—not by Jimmy, of course. The dumb nurse told everyone—even the principle. They called my mother …they secluded me from everything normal in my life. I just wanted this whole situation and embarrassment to disappear.

"Hey—"

I jumped forward, crashing face first into my locker—how dumb was that? Beatrice gasped violently, pulling me backwards.

"I—I'm sorry!" She stuttered sadly. "I didn't mean to scare you!"

"It's alright—" I sighed, feeling relieved Beatrice was talking to me and not some cheerleader.

"Soo," She whispered, stepping closer to me. "Are you pregnant?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, the rumors are true."

She gasped, and I frowned.

"Does Jimmy know?"

"Yes, Beatrice," I sighed again harshly. "He knows."

"Then that explains a lot!" She giggled.

I stared into her eyes that were sparkling like little stars. "He's outside by the dorms, you should go see him!"

I paused, confused at first, then suddenly furious. Images popped into my mind—he was probably telling the whole school about how I'm such a slut. I shoved past Beatrice, making her fall backwards. I ran quickly—shoving my way past cheerleaders who barely entered the gym.

"Move— you slut!" One yelled as I kept running.

Jimmy was going to be dead by the time I found him.

I kept running past hordes of students, ignoring the intense pain building in my stomach. Something was seriously wrong with me. My stomach began to ache and continue building pain. I stopped quickly, holding onto a light pole, unsure of what was happening to me. The pain became so intense—so furious.

"Ah—" I gasped, realizing I couldn't breathe. I clenched unto my stomach, feeling a burn like never before.

I looked upwards, towards the dorms. A group of students huddled around Jimmy, cheering him on. He really was telling the world about me! I could hear them chanting my name. I limped towards the group that was only a few feet away. Still holding unto my stomach, the pain swallowed me alive. I stopped, unable to move any further. Jimmy, through the crowd, caught a glimpse of me.

"Zoe!" He smiled and waved, pushing past the now excited crowd.

"Do it! Do it!" They chanted, hands clapping and everything.

Jimmy walked towards me and smiled sweetly. I stared angrily at him, feeling sick and depressed. What exactly was he telling the crowd of students, anyway?

"Zoey," Jimmy laughed. "You look dead tired, are you alright?"

I didn't respond, still feeling the ache in my stomach. I could barely breathe.

Jimmy shuffled through his pocket, never removing his stare from me. I held tightly unto my stomach, the world around me began to swirl. What was happened to me? What was Jimmy doing?

"Zoe Taylor," Jimmy knelt down slowly on one knee. "Will you marry me?"

I began to feel even worse than I did before. The pain never went away.

The crowd cheered violently, chanting, "Say yes!"

I knelt down next to Jimmy, succumbing to the pain. I slowly moved my hand from my stomach, looking at how I was shaking from pain and fear. I clenched my hand into a fist.

"I love you," Jimmy smiled, unsure of what else to say. "Please say you'll marry me …" I could tell he was nervous, wondering why it took so long for me to say an answer.

In a fit of rage, I punched Jimmy, causing him to fall backwards. The ring went flying as well.

"That's what you get for making me feel like I was alone!" I shrieked at him, tears running down my face. "I cried myself to sleep for two weeks straight!"

The crowd went silent.

The pain in my stomach grew, rendering me unable to move. I gasped, feeling like I was about to die. I fell down next to Jimmy, as he rubbed his cheek harshly. He turned to look at me, his face red with anger. He paused, staring at my face drenched with tears, sweat, and pain.

"Zoe …" He whispered, grabbing my shoulder. "Zoey, are you alright?"

I closed my eyes, unsure if I would ever be able to open them again.

"Zoe?" Jimmy's voice faded away as I passed out.


	4. Family

"Sweetheart?" Someone brushed my bangs away from my sweaty face. I could feel the humidity soak into my skin, causing only more discomfort. A knot in my throat prevented me from swallowing—the bitter taste of waking up almost made me gag. I opened my watery eyes slowly; they began to sting the moment I caught a glimpse of the behemoth sized window next to me. The sunlight stung my eyes.

Just how long have I been asleep for?

"M-m-mother?" I whispered, feeling the knot in my throat choke me. I still couldn't swallow my saliva. "W-what?"

"It's alright, dear," Tears filled my mother's eyes. I have never seen her so distraught before. Well, I take it back. The time my father left us back when I was just a kid … the look of depression is something you really can never forget.

She pushed a strand of her auburn colored hair behind her ear. "You had me worried sick!"

"What happened—" I coughed, trying not to gag. "Where are we?"

"In the hospital …" She smiled softly, a small tear escaping the corner of her eye. "Word is that you fainted. The doctors are running some tests …"

She paused, placing her hand before her mouth as if she was ready to start sobbing. I stared at her flawless skin and emerald green eyes. If only I could be as beautiful as my mother, perhaps I wouldn't feel so useless most of the time.

"To check if the baby is alright—" My mother let out a short sob. My heart began throbbing anxiously.

"Why? What do they think is wrong with the baby?" The nerves started making my stomach churn. The bitter taste in my mouth became overwhelming. Something started creeping up my throat.

I looked around the room curiously and quickly found an ice bucket. I yanked it off from the table beside my bed and immediately threw up. Thankfully, the bucket had no ice in it. The knot it my throat disappeared. Sadly, an even worse taste filled my mouth. My mother pulled back my hair and whispered encouraging words into my right ear.

Pregnant. I couldn't seem to believe my situation.

Somehow, I had a feeling throwing up was going to be a regular thing for me.

My mother sighed. "They say that you overworked yourself. The way you get anxious or nervous seems to be affecting the baby. Even though you're months from labor, if you keep stressing out, you could lose the child."

My head pounded. _Lose the baby?_ I gagged again, causing my stomach to churn. Something, once again, kept climbing up towards my mouth. In one swift move, I threw up some more. My mother patted my back soothingly, and I instantly remembered all the times I would yell at her. I was a horrible daughter—how did I deserve this kind of love? All my life, I've been nothing but a rebel and trouble to her. I would stay out past midnight with my friends, start fights with girls at school, get low grades—I didn't deserve my mother's comfort.

"I'm fine!" I gasped, pulling my face back from the bucket. "I'm… alright." I gave a reassuring smile to my mother.

She smiled back, somewhat half-heartedly. I stared into her eyes—seeing my reflection. I immediately remembered the night she found out I was pregnant. Someone from my school called her personally when she was at work. Now, my mother never missed a day of work. Ever since my father walked out the door, money has been tight for the both of us.

Even though I often yelled at my mother, I did still love her. I've applied to countless jobs to help her the moment I turned fifteen. Sadly, many stores chose more qualified applicants to work for them. I couldn't even get a job at a freakin' burger place. I had a hard time admitting my feelings to anyone—it's always been that way since I've been able to know what "love" is. The way I showed love to my mother was through job applications. How else could I prove my love to her? I didn't even tell Jimmy that I loved him. It was just understood.

The afternoon my mother got a call from my school, she rushed home immediately. I remember the moment she charged into our home, slamming the door behind her. I was in my room, crying, and still managed to hear her have a fit in the living room.

"_Zoe Taylor, you come over here this instant!"_ Her screams were ferocious.

I walked diligently towards the living room, my doom, my very own personal hell.

"_You're pregnant?"_ My mother's voice was so powerful, it shook me to my very core. I was afraid the neighbors would hear or the kids playing outside would listen in on us.

"_Yes, mother,"_ I sighed, feeling my eyes swell with tears again. _"I'm pregnant."_

"_How did this happen?" _

"_I don't know, mom,"_

"_What do you mean you don't know?"_

"_I don't know!" _I yelled, tears streaming down my face.

She walked closer to me, her face turning red, her eyes filled with tears. _"How do you plan to care for this child? You don't have a job, you don't have an education—"_

"_I'll figure something out!" _I cut her off, my voice growing louder with anger.

"_Don't raise your voice at me! I am tired of being pushed around by you! I'm your mother!" _She yelled back, causing me to jump. My mother never raised her voice at me before—who knew that pregnancy would finally make her snap?

"_You know that you can't do anything right! How do you expect to care for a child when you can't even take care of yourself?" _

Ouch. Her words sizzled in my mind, causing me to remember my father. Those memories, however, are something I wish to never remember. Her words managed to bring up things I have tried so hard to oppress.

"_Oh, really, is that so? At least I would be a better mother than you! You're the reason why dad left us in the first place!" _I yelled as I walked closer towards my mother.

I stared into her green eyes for what seemed like an eternity. She pondered on my words, and I instantly regretted what I said. My words were as sharp as a knife—what did I just do to my very own mother? Reflecting in those beautiful green eyes, I could see a heart breaking into a million pieces.

"_I-I mean …"_ I whispered, feeling guilt wash over me like never before.

My mother slapped me across the face swiftly and harshly, causing me to tumble backwards. I stared at my mother, who, out of all the years of my life, could never force herself to hit another human being. Today was an exception. She went jogging towards her room, her sobs extremely loud; I began to blush at what the neighbors might say when they heard her.

That was two weeks ago. And, oddly, for a whole week, she never left her room or went back to work. That was the first time I had ever seen her act that way.

"Don't worry, love," My mother hugged me gently as I snapped back into reality. "Throwing up is a normal part of pregnancy."

I grimaced. _Pregnancy_. I felt nauseous all over again.

_Knock, knock, knock_. My eyes immediately gravitated towards the door. The thought of the doctor coming in made my eyes water.

"Mom," I whispered, gently touching her shoulder. "Is it normal to be emotional during a pregnancy too?"

She nodded, a soft smile forming on her face. I sighed harshly. As if I wasn't emotional enough …

The door opened slowly, as if the person behind it didn't want to make noise. Jimmy peaked around the door and a wave of relief washed over me. At least it wasn't the doctor.

"Hey there, Zoe …" Jimmy stood at the door, holding a bouquet of roses in one hand and waving at me with the other. "Mrs. Taylor …"

My mother's face was priceless. She looked at Jimmy with disgust, and I couldn't help but smile. My attitude certainly came from my mother, even if she was truly the sweetest person on earth.

"Mr. Hopkins," she said casually, as if she has done this a million times before. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Mom!" I gasped, truly shocked that she could do such a thing. Where did she suddenly get this authority from? "Mom, I know you've never liked Jimmy, but—"

"But what, Zoe?" She glared at me. "He's the reason you're here in the first place. He knocked you up!"

My mouth dropped open. "Mom, it takes two to … well, you know …"

She frowned. "I truly believe that this boy has been a bad influence on your life. I think he forced you to have—"

"No, mom," I sighed, my face flushing with embarrassment. Jimmy stood at the door, at awe that my very own mother would turn savage. "Could I just have a moment with Jimmy, please?"

She sighed harshly, moving some of my bangs away from my face. "You have ten minutes." She glared at Jimmy as she walked slowly towards the door.

"Good to see you too, Mrs. Taylor," Jimmy's sarcasm wasn't amusing. I rolled my eyes. Way to win my mother over, jerk.

She shoved past him, and he quickly jogged towards the side of my bed.

"You freaked me out when you passed out yesterday!"

I blankly stared at him. After not talking to me for a week, he was going to have to try harder than a marriage proposal and roses to win me over.

"So … you're still mad at me? Shouldn't you be happy I asked you to marry me?"

I sighed. "You didn't talk to me for a week. You couldn't make up your mind, remember?"

"I'm sorry … I was scared, that's all."

"You shouldn't have been scared at all!" I said through my teeth, ready to take Jimmy down and beat him up.

"Don't even lie and say that you weren't scared either!" He yelled back, throwing the roses on my lap. "I ask you to marry me, and I care enough to be here right now! Why are you acting this way?"

"You deserve to be yelled at! You made me cry myself to sleep for a week, you jerk!" Tears rolled down my cheeks. "How could you be so cruel? It should have never taken a week for you to make up your mind on whether or not you wanted to be with me!"

"I didn't take a week for that! There was never a question on whether or not I wanted to be with you!" He started whispering. Our yells were probably attracting attention. "I took a week from talking to you because I didn't know what step to take first!"

"Step? What are you talking about?" I asked, completely caught off guard.

"Well …" He scratched his head, staring at the tiled floor. "I looked around town for apartments. Found some cheap ones, but they were at the bad side of town. I don't want our kid growing up in a place like that."

I stared at him at disbelief.

"Then I decided it would be best if we just get engaged first …" Jimmy continued to whisper. "You need your mom during this whole pregnancy. It's going to be tough. Try to learn as much as you can before we move out."

_We? Moving out? Marriage? _My whole world just turned upside down as I felt like throwing up again.

"Wha—" I couldn't finish the sentence. "Who says I need you in my life?" Anger suddenly took control of my mind.

"Wait, what? Don't you love me?" Jimmy turned to look at me, an obvious pain in his eyes.

I wanted to say that I loved him, but my past had a hold on me like never before.

"All men are the same," I said casually. "You say you love me now, but you'll leave me soon enough."

"_Seriously?_" Jimmy's anger started to return. "I'm not a scumbag like your father, Zoe. I won't leave you like—"

"Don't bring my father into this!" Tears, once again, started filling my eyes. I have never been so emotional in my life. Jimmy is the only person I have ever told about my father. The only way to prove my love for Jimmy is by telling him my past.

"I don't have a father, either, you know." He whispered, completely depressed. "He left me and my mom too … but I know that I won't make the same mistake as he did."

I looked at the beautiful bouquet of roses on my lap. Two dozen of them, and boy, were they gorgeous.

"I will _never _leave you or our child." He gently grabbed my hand.

I kept staring at the roses, trying to avoid any awkward eye contact with Jimmy. I felt my face burn with embarrassment.

"Fine …" I whispered. "I'll give you a chance."

Jimmy smiled and gently pulled me closer to hug me. Neither of us were good with feelings, but I guess today was an exception.

I sighed. What was I thinking?

"I love you …" he whispered, tightening his grip on me.

As I hugged Jimmy in return, I began to think about my father.

_Dad… why did you have to leave me? _

"Okay!" My mom burst into the room, causing the door to swing and hit the wall violently. Jimmy and I jumped simultaneously. "Your ten minutes are up!"

I sighed. Now, if I could only get my mom to accept Jimmy into the "family."


End file.
